In general, a mechanical apparatus has a housing which stores parts or assembly configured to carry out image formation or other processes. In many cases, an opening is formed on the housing to install equipment inside the housing, or repair or replace equipment situated inside the housing. In terms of user safety, a cover for covering the opening on the housing is attached to the housing.
If equipment inside the housing is connected to a drive source, such as a motor, the equipment inside the housing has to be mechanically disconnected from the drive source in order to take out the equipment from the housing. If the equipment inside the housing is mechanically disconnected from the drive source in coordination with covering and uncovering operation of a cover, maintenance and replacement processes become efficient. A link mechanism that mechanically disconnects the equipment inside the housing from the drive source in coordination with the covering and uncovering operation of the cover may make the aforementioned process more efficient.
A conventional link mechanism is subjected to constraints on an angular range for the covering and uncovering operation of the cover and a positional relationship between the cover and the link mechanism. Consequently, in many cases, principles of the conventional link mechanism may not be available because of designs of equipment to be connected to the cover via the link mechanism.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an image forming apparatus and a processing apparatus having a link mechanism which is subjected to few constraints on an internal structure of the housing.